The Ibadan Book Club has announced the trio of Zainab Oderinlo, Eniola Olagunju, and Olowe Inioluwa Victoria as headline writers for the 2025 Ibadan Book Carnival, the club’s end-of-the-year literary celebration.
The annual event, which brings together writers, readers, and literary enthusiasts, also features the Ibadan Book Achievement, an award segment dedicated to recognising individuals and institutions that have supported the club from January to December.
According to the organisers, the Ibadan Book Achievement will honour guest writers who featured at the club’s sessions throughout the year, alongside sponsors, patrons, and members whose commitment has sustained the club’s activities. Awardees will receive certificates in appreciation of their contributions to the growth of the Ibadan Book Club and the broader literary community.
This development was contained in a press release issued in Ibadan by the Founder of the Ibadan Book Club, Wole Adedoyin. The statement described the Ibadan Book Carnival as both a celebration of literary excellence and a moment of reflection on the club’s journey, achievements, and impact within and beyond Ibadan.
Over the years, the Ibadan Book Club’s end-of-year gathering has evolved in name and scope, reflecting its growing influence. The event was known as the Ibadan Book Party in 2021, Ibadan Book Feast in 2022, Ibadan Book Fiesta in 2023, Ibadan Book Banquet in 2024, and now proudly bears the title Ibadan Book Carnival in 2025.
Similarly, the club’s annual award tradition dates back to 2021, when it was first held as the Ibadan Book Prize. Subsequent editions were named Ibadan Book Award in 2022, Ibadan Book Honour in 2023, and Ibadan Book Laurel in 2024, stressing the club’s consistent commitment to celebrating literary service and excellence.
The Ibadan Book Club also extended special appreciation to Dr. Awele Ilusanmi FANA, President of the Literary Authors Cooperative Multipurpose Society of Nigeria and Founder of the Book Marketing Class Africa (BMACA), for her sustained monthly support. Her partnership has been instrumental in ensuring the continuity of the Club’s literary engagements and the successful hosting of the Ibadan Book Dialogue series.
Zainab Oderinlo, one of the headline writers, is a writer, poet, and mental health advocate. She emerged as the second runner-up in the 2025 VOICE4CHILD DEVATOP Writing Competition and is widely recognised for her advocacy for the rights of children and child domestic workers. Her writing is deeply influenced by her curiosity about the human mind and the works of poets such as Rudy Francisco, J.P. Clark, and Maya Angelou.
Currently studying English at the University of Ibadan, Zainab nurtures the ambition of publishing her own collection of poems. Her creative work continues to blend literary expression with social advocacy, particularly in the areas of mental health and child protection.
Eniola Olagunju is a language student in the Department of English, University of Ibadan, and an emerging writer whose interests span poetry, journalism, and landscape photography. Her poetry reflects a careful engagement with human experience, nature, and ethical questions arising from social and national challenges, approached through a reflective and disciplined craft.
She presently serves as the General Secretary of the Poetry Club, University of Ibadan, and is actively involved in literary programming within the university community. In addition to her creative pursuits, Eniola is developing a career in journalism with a focus on sports and news reporting, while her landscape photography offers a visual extension of her storytelling interests.
Olowe Inioluwa Victoria is a 200-level Theatre Arts student in the Faculty of Creative Arts, University of Lagos. Born and raised in Nigeria, she discovered her passion for storytelling and creative expression at an early age. Her writing journey gained prominence in 2022 when her piece My Life emerged among the top 60 finalists in the Literati Arts Competition at the University of Ibadan. In 2023, she presented another work titled Inioluwa to members of the Ibadan Book Club and is currently working on Motherhood, a forthcoming piece that explores the lived realities of single mothers.
